Overhead crane



E. H. STEEDMAN.

OVERHEAD CRANE APPLICATION FILIED .IUNEII. 1921. 1,397,558.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI I.

- INVENTOR far m b4 5/eea man.

ATTORNEYg E. H. STEEDMAN.

OVERHEAD CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEII, 1921.

Patented NOV. 22, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN H. STEEDMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO CURTIS & CO. MFG. (.70.,

OF WELLSTON, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

OVERHEAD CRANE.

Spe'cification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application filed June 11, 1321. Serial No. 476,962.

a citizen of the United. States,residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Overhead Cranes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to overhead cranes, and particularly small cranes of the kind that are intended to be moved manually by pressure applied to the object suspended from the crane or by an operating shaft geared to two of the wheels of the crane.

The main object of my invention is to provide a strong, lightweight crane of the type referred to that can be manufactured at a low cost.

To this end I have devised a crane that comprises two end frames, each of which consists of a fabricated structure composed of a number of pressed metal members or commercially rolled members or a rolled member and a number of pressed members, and a tie member that joins said end frames together and also serves as a track for a trolley that can be moved at right angles to the path of travel of the crane.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of a crane constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are a top plan view and a side elevation of one of the end. frames of the crane shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 4 and 5 are a top plan view and a side elevation, respectively, ofan end frame of slightly different construction; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are top plan views, illustrating other ways of constructing the end frames of the crane.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings, A designates the end frames of my improved crane, and B designates a tie member that joins said. end. frames together and also serves as a track for a trolley B from which the object carried by the crane is suspended. Each of the end frames A is made up of a number of parts riveted orotherwise connected together, thus making the crane lighter and less-expensive to manufacture than a crane provided with end frames consisting of heavy castings, such as are generally used toforin the end frames of small overhead cranes. In the form of my inventlon shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, each end frame Ais composed of two pressed metal members 1 of channel shape in cross section arranged with their vertical webs back to.

back and, their flanges 2 projecting outwardly. The members 1 extend the entire length of the end frame and their end portions are separated or spaced apart, as shown 1n F 1g. 2, so as to form jaws for the wheels C of the crane. Preferably, each of the members 1 is provided with a relatively deep intermediate portion and shallow end portions, as shown in Fig. 3, thus forming an end frame having an intermediate portion of substantially I shape in vertical cross section equipped at its ends with flanged wheel jaws. The members 1 are preferably joined together by top and bottom plates 3 arranged 1n overlapping relation with the flanges 2 of said members and secured to said flanges by rivets 4 or in any other preferredmanner, theplates 3 extending longitudinally'of the end frame and terminating just beyond the points where the end portions of said members 1 start to flare outwardly to form the wheel jaws of the end frame. In some in stances inclined braces D are connected to" the end frames and to the tie member B, as shown in Fig. 1, and when the crane is constructed in this manner, it is preferable to provide the inner members 1 of the end frames with integral brackets 5 to which the outer ends of the braces D are connected, said brackets 5 being formed by slitting the vertical web of the inner member of each end frame and bending said slitted portions laterally, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

An overhead crane of the construction above described is exceptionally strong and rigid and it is considerably lighter and less expensive to manufacture than a crane equipped with end frames composed of heavy castings. a

While I prefer to arrange horizontallydisposed top and bottom plates in overlapping relation with the flanges of the memhere 1 constituting each end frame tosecura composed of one pressed metal. channelshaped member E that extends the entire length of the end frame, and jaw members F of channel shape in cross section arranged at the opposite ends of said member E and securely connected to same,,-the end portions being bent laterally so as to form jaws for the wheels. When the end frame. is constructed in this manner it is preferable to secure the vertical webs of the jaw members F to the vertical web of the memberF by rivets 3 and also arrange top and bottom plates 7 in overlapping relation with the flanges of the member E and the jaw members F and secure said plates to saidrfianges byrivets or other fastening devices 8.

In Fig. 7 l haveillustrated an end frame embodying my invention which is composed of an Lbea-m G or other suitable commerci-ally rolled member having pressed metal jaw members i F arranged at the opposite ends of same and secured tcth'e vertical web thereof by. rivets or other suitable fastening "devices 9, the member G terminating at the points where the jaws F start to flare out-' wardly.

The end frame shown in FigPS-is substantially the same as the end frame illustrated in Fig. 6, in that it is composed of a single. pressed metal member E having jaw membersF arranged at the ends of same, but it is not equipped with top and bottom plates like the plates '7 of the end frame shown in Fig. 6. I V

Having thus described my invention,what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. An overhead crane composed-of two end frames, each of which consists of *a number of flanged'members connected together, and a transversely disposed connecting means for said end frames arranged wholly within the space between same and having its opposite ends directly connected to said end frames.

2. An overhead crane, comprising end frames, each of which consists of a built up structure of flangedmembers connected together and provided at its ends with laterally flared portions that constitute wheel jaws, and atie member that joins said end. frames together and also serves as track for the trolley of the crane.

3.A crane, comprising end frames, each of which is composed of a plurality of flanged members combined in such a manner that they form an end frame of substantially I shape in cross section provided at its ends with laterally projecting portions that form the side pieces of wheel aws, and a connecting means that joins said end frames together..

l. A'crane having fabricated end frames, each of which comprises an intermediate-portion of substantially I shape in cross section and endportions consisting of wheeljaws whose side pieces are disposed in different vertical planes from the vertical plane in which the webof said intermediate portion lie -and a tie member that joins said "end frames together. of the member E and the jaw members F 5'. A crane composed of two end frames" fjoined together, and each consisting' of. a

fabricatec structure of flanged shapes combined in such a manner as to form a:' rela-.

tively deep intermediate section having a vertical web and'laterally projecting flanges, and spaced wheel jawsat the opposite ends of said intermediate section having side pieces that lie in different vertical planes from the plane of said web. i

6. A crane provi led with fabricated end frames, each of whichcom'prises a relatively deep intermediate portion provided at its ends with shallow'wheel jaws having side pieces that flare. outwardly relatively tosaid intermediate portion, 7 j l 7. A crane composed of two fabricated end frames, a tie member that joins saidend frames together, braces connected tosai'd tie member and end frames, and integralibrackets on said end frames formed by slitting and bending the web portions of some of'the members that constitute said end frames:

8. A crane having end frames, each of which is composed of two pressed metal members of channel shape in cross section arranged back to back and having their end portions spread apart so as to form wheel jaws.

9. A crane having end frames, each :of

which is composed *oftwo pressed metal members of channel shape in cross section arranged back to back and having their end portions spread apart so as to form wheel jaws, and top and bottom plates secured the flanges of said members.

10. A crane having end frames, each of which consists of a pressed metal member of substantially channel shape in cross section whose end portions are bent laterallyto form the sides of wheel aws. and cooperat ing members secured to the end portions of said member.

11. A crane having end frames,1 e ach of which consists of a pressed metal member ofsubstantially channel shape in cross section whose end portions are bent laterally to form the sides of Wheel jaws, cooperating jaw members secured to the end portions of said member, and top and bottom plates secured to the flanges of said member and jaw members.

12. A crane provided with end frames, each of Which consists of a commercially rolled member that constitutes the intermedi ate portion of the end frame, and laterally flared jaw members arranged at the ends of 10 said rolled member. 1

13. A crane having end frames, each of which consists of an I-beam that constitutes the intermediate portion of the end frame, and pressed metal jaw members arranged at 15 the ends of said I-beam and secured to the vertical Web of same.

EDWIN H. STEEDMAN. 

